Speed limit review

We are reviewing the speed limit on each road in Buckinghamshire (except motorways, trunk roads and some private roads) and making changes where appropriate. This is a massive task covering almost 2000 miles of roads. To make the process easier, the county has been split into 14 areas and each area tackled individually.

Purpose:

To reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads.
To reduce the speed of traffic through villages and other communities to improve quality of life
To make speed limits more consistent countywide
To ensure that speed limits take into account everyone who uses the roads
The review started in 2003 with the areas containing the major roads with the most crashes being dealt with first.

Choosing the speed limits

Many factors need to be considered, including:

Traffic speed
Amount of traffic
Number and type of crashes
Road characteristics and local environment
Number and type of buildings along the road
Needs of people using the road
Government advice and regulations

For each speed limit review we have tried to take into account the views of all users through consultation with district and town councils, the public and representatives of all road users eg Freight Transport Association, the emergency services, cyclists, walkers and horse riders.

The 14 speed limit review areas
See map above. These areas are at different stages of review. The order in which the areas are being reviewed is based upon the casualty rates of the National speed limit A and B roads within each area. Those with the worst record were tackled first.

Some of the speed limit review areas were linked to other projects:

Area 1

Area 1 was originally the A422 west of Buckingham and the rural area north of it.

Because the A422 had new speed limits installed just before the speed limit review started, it was decided to incorporate the minor rural roads comprising the rest of Area 1 with Area 14. Therefore, in effect, Area 1 was just the A422 west of Buckingham and the villages in its vicinity

Area 2 (The Central Chilterns Traffic Management Project)

Covers part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has been dealt with as a separate project from the wider speed limit review, and covers a wider range of issue such as general and traditional style directional signage, encouraging walking, cycling and horse riding. Area 2 was a pilot study area for Quiet Lanes, but following public consultation, feedback and final guidance from the Department for Transport these will not be implemented. The area has also been the focus of a successful study into the effectiveness of speed indicator signs used to encourage drivers to stick to the speed limit.

Following the introduction of new and revised speed limits at the end of 2006, these have since been monitored and reviewed and formal public consultation on amendments took place in June 2008. The speed limit review working group met in July 2008 and have asked that due to the level of feedback that Stoney Lane, Pound Lane and the road through the settlement of Heath End be considered for a reduction from National Speed Limit to 40mph. Therefore additional formal public consultation took place during late August/September 2008. Its anticipated that the final proposed speed limit orders will be re-advertised early April 2009 and if there are no formal objections the orders will be made, this will be followed by implementation of the speed limits on site. (late April early May 2009)

Area 5

The speed limit review covers the same geographical area as the Tranquil Project, a joint traffic management project set up with Wycombe District Council This project will provide some village entry treatments to raise awareness of the local speed limits. A pilot project of vehicle activated signs also took place to help decide how such signs can best be used countywide in future years.

Area 6

Speed limits on Wood Lane, Iver were installed earlier than the rest of area 6 as part of a local safety scheme to reduce casualties.

Area 9

Changes to speed limits on Marlow Hill, High Wycombe took place in advance of the rest of area 9. This was to tie in with the completion of a new road layout at Handy Cross, which introduced a 40mph speed limit. The Marlow Hill speed limit changes were unusual for two reasons:-

A 30 mph limit was raised to 40mph
A different speed limit was put in on each side of the dual carriageway - 40mph on the uphill side and 30mph on the downhill side

Area 12

The Stoke Hammond bypass runs through area 12. Some speed limits within affected areas of area 12 were introduced in November 2007 soon after the opening of the bypass.

Area 13

The 'Three Counties Project' covers the Ashridge Estate and involves Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Hertfordshire County Councils working together with the National Trust and the Chilterns Conservation Board. Its aim is to reduce the negative effects of traffic on communities and countryside users within the north Chilterns area.

Reduced speed limits were put in place within the estate in April 2007 with a variety of other measures to reduce deer related crashes on the roads within the area.

For more information call 0845 2302882 or email tfb@buckscc.gov.uk

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